When I was in elementary school, one of the best feelings for me was opening up my brown bag lunch to discover my mom had made me an egg salad sandwich that day. I don’t know exactly how she made it or what she put in it, but man, it was always so delicious. We didn’t have much growing up. Immigrants from Peru, my parents had to start all over; learn the language, pick up low-level jobs just to pay the rent, put clothes on our backs, and send me to school. And so, for most of my school day lunches, it was usually something very modest like mayonnaise and two slices of white bread. But sometimes…sometimes, my mom would surprise me and make egg salad and it felt like a huge treat, richly opulent and extravagant. I will always remember that feeling.

Fast forward thirty years and I still can’t get enough of egg salad sandwiches. About a year ago, I found a recipe for deviled egg salad from Melissa Clark. She adds anchovies to it. Anchovies. And boy, is it special. The saline pungency of the anchovies carries itself beautifully with the chopped eggs, softened by the mayonnaise. There are only a handful of things that truly cause me to close my eyes in sublime while eating, and this is one of those things. It is perfection.

You can eat this from a bowl (I do), on a slice of good, toasted bread, or as a sandwich. The original recipe only makes enough for 2 servings. I triple it so I can ensure I have enough to feast on it for several days. This egg salad gives me motivation to get up in the morning because I know what awaits me for breakfast. No shame.

The same week that I was happily noshing on deviled egg salad, I discovered this pretty awesome recipe for green beans and walnut-parsley sauce. And to my delight, it actually went very well eaten alongside it. The sauce is loud, bright, fresh. Think pesto but without cheese. It’s a cinch to make since you just tumble everything into a food processor and give it a spin. I used this to dollop over chilled green beans as intended, but it was also terrific over steak, grilled shrimp, toast, eggs. It is delicious on anything that could benefit from a pop of bold flavor.

in a large bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, anchovies, vinegar, and paprika. on a cutting board, use the flat side of a knife to mash together the garlic and salt until a rough paste forms. add the paste to the bowl and toss to combine. mix in the eggs and gently incorporate.

at this point, you can eat it straight out of the bowl with a spoon in your pajamas on the floor (like i do) or be a respectable human being and toast up some amazing bread and spoon the deviled egg salad on top for an open-face sandwich (like i sometimes do). otherworldly.

for the green beans:

in a food processor, toss in walnuts, parsley, garlic, worcestershire sauce, lemon zest, salt. give it a whir and slowly add the olive oil until combined.

blanch the green beans in boiling water until just tender, about 1 – 1 1/2 minutes. drain and run under cold water until bright green and crisp. serve chilled green beans with walnut-parsley sauce dolloped on top.

Notes

deviled egg salad adapted from melissa clark’s cookbook, in the kitchen with a good appetite

i love this deviled egg salad so much, i actually triple the recipe so it makes enough to last me several days. i eat this for breakfast, for lunch, dinner. i eat this with a spoon out of the bowl. so good, you guys.

walnut-parsley sauce adapted from food network kitchens

the walnut-parsley sauce is magic. delightful spooned over chilled green beans but just as dazzling with crusty bread, over grilled shrimp, on steak (think chimichurri). double the recipe to stash this in the fridge to fawn over all week long.

Beans and Greens with Sardines - The Hoot Eats-[…] isn’t one for you. If you have any interest in the salad of eggs like I am, you should make this one. It was so good. I promise you can’t really taste the anchovies other than a hint of […]

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Hey guys, I'm Steph! I'm a Personal Chef by day and Food Writer by night. This blog is all about the food I love to cook and eat-- some sweet, some savory, all delicious. Welcome to my realm! xo

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